What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?- Page 5
What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
a-mad
Featured Actor Joined: 8/25/11
#100What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/4/15 at 6:51pm
1. Cinderella
2. Elf
3. How to Succeed...
4. You're a Good Man...
5. The King and I
#101What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/4/15 at 6:58pm
How to Succeed with maybe Nick Jonas reprising the role is a nice idea. I feel like Music Man and My Fair Lady would be colossal bores for most audiences.
#102What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/4/15 at 7:16pm
If they do "Guys & Dolls" and absolutely need to cast a star as Adelaide, can Lady Gaga reprise her high school role? That would be a huge draw. And if they wanted to cast a theatre actress, I have someone else in mind....
They/them.
"Get up the nerve to be all you deserve to be."
#103What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/4/15 at 7:17pm
Zadan and Meron state that The Music Man is not off the table. They also discuss why Peter Pan was the wrong choice.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/wiz-producers-how-oscars-turned-845893
#104What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/4/15 at 7:51pm
jnb9872 said: "I humbly propose BIG RIVER as a thought, which covers family-friendly and based on more familiar material, or 1776 (family-friendly, certainly 3 hrs long, and likely relevant after a Presidential election.) But Encores! could have aims for 1776 that would pre-empt NBC."
What would they do about the n-words?
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#105What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/4/15 at 7:57pm
jnb9872 said: "But Encores! could have aims for 1776 that would pre-empt NBC."
You really think a few thousand people seeing a production of a nearly 50-year-old musical is really going to be an issue for a show that bring in millions of people with celebrity casting?!
LizzieCurry said: "What would they do about the n-words?"
Can't someone in the ensemble cough every time someone says it?
#106What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/4/15 at 8:13pm
Shows like How to Succeed or Guys and Dolls aren't bad ideas in terms of content, but it seems to me they would feel a little flat not performed in front of an audience. How to Succeed, in particular, is a show that relies on Finch being able to break the fourth wall and look at the audience, and I don't think that would come across well without an audience to react to it.
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
#107What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/4/15 at 8:30pm
A lot of people are mentioning "Little Shop of Horrors" and I think it would do well as a live production, but more down FOX's alley. Especially if they do it around Halloween. I know one of Ariana Grande's dream roles is Audrey, and she's a member of the FOX family, so it could work.
They/them.
"Get up the nerve to be all you deserve to be."
#108What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/4/15 at 9:21pm
Raven Simone led "Sister Act."
Tom5
Broadway Star Joined: 9/23/11
#109What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/4/15 at 9:53pm
"Should be" is different than "Will be" because the musical that will be chosen will likely be the one anticipated to get the best ratings and demographics that would relate to the large parts of the country that have no knowledge of theater past. "Should be" to my mind might be either Pajama Game or How To Succeed...But it will likely be something overly familiar and childish which I won't be watching.
#110What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/4/15 at 10:16pm
Annie Get Your Gun - with Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton
Hello, Dolly - with Reba
"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
-- Thomas Jefferson
#111What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/4/15 at 10:17pm
There has only ever been one stage adaptation of The Wizard of Oz as most people are familiar with it, and even though it has the score from the 1939 film plus additional material by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, it's not anywhere near as good as the scores for The Wiz, Peter Pan Live and The Sound of Music.
There have been NUMEROUS stage adaptations of the 1939 film that pre-date Lloyd Webber's 2011 production including the 1945 MUNY version (including a new song, "Evening Star" that has been staged regionally and internationally for decades, my personal favorite, the 1987 Royal Shakespeare Company that reinstated "Jitterbug" (cut from the film) and the 1997 Madison Square Garden production that toured nationally.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
#112What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/4/15 at 11:39pm
Haterobics, that wasn't quite what I was guessing. I think 1776 is way more well-known than the typical Encores! selection, and wouldn't be surprised if someone had eyes to test the waters there for a full-scale revival (again, election year and all, and also HAMILTON has revived the founding fathers as a vogue topic.) A revival would likely mess with performance rights.
Lizzie, good point about the n-word in BIG RIVER, and I don't think either of my suggestions would be perfect choices for sure. Just thinking of shows not yet mentioned to contribute to the thread. One thing about BIG RIVER is that, with Roger Miller's score, NBC could attract some legit Country stars (and the very lucrative Country audience... ever notice how many Country music award telecasts there are?)
Among others, I could definitely see a full-scale CAMELOT being a natural choice. With PETER and WIZ they've had a fantastical bent to these that I think lends itself well to the family entertainment, and CAMELOT would fit that nicely. As would INTO THE WOODS, but too soon (and too associated with Disney now)?
Speaking of Disney, I have to imagine they're tossing around the idea of taking live musicals to ABC, right? NEWSIES was mentioned and should have to wait until Disney gets ABC in the game... but, since Harvey worked on the book this year, think there's a chance for LA CAGE LIVE?
Words don't deserve that kind of malarkey. They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they're no good anymore…I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.
#113What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/5/15 at 12:34am
All of you white theater queens are cracking me up with your suggestions.
#114What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/5/15 at 12:43am
Meron and Zadan are white theatre queens too.
DigificWriter
Leading Actor Joined: 1/23/12
#115What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/5/15 at 1:19am
Mister Matt said: "There has only ever been one stage adaptation of The Wizard of Oz as most people are familiar with it, and even though it has the score from the 1939 film plus additional material by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, it's not anywhere near as good as the scores for The Wiz, Peter Pan Live and The Sound of Music.
There have been NUMEROUS stage adaptations of the 1939 film that pre-date Lloyd Webber's 2011 production including the 1945 MUNY version (including a new song, "Evening Star" that has been staged regionally and internationally for decades, my personal favorite, the 1987 Royal Shakespeare Company that reinstated "Jitterbug" (cut from the film) and the 1997 Madison Square Garden production that toured nationally.
"
Thanks for the corrections. The only stage adaptation I was aware of was the Lloyd Webber one, but I still don't think that the 1939 film - as much of a classic as it is - has the strongest score as far as theatrical staging is concerned.
And, for the record, I do like the Lloyd Webber stage version, even though I said its score isn't anywhere near the quality of what NBC's put forth so far.
#116What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/5/15 at 1:57am
Hairspray - starring an unknown as Tracy
Bye Bye Birdie
The Addams Family
Little Shop of Horrors
13
Updated On: 12/5/15 at 01:57 AM
Starship
Broadway Star Joined: 7/29/12
#117What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/5/15 at 2:00am
I think whatever show they do needs to feel fresh, even if the material is dated. The reason The Wiz worked so well was not just because of the stellar cast, but because they were able to make it feel more new/fresh/contemporary than they could with Sound of Music and Peter Pan. And whatever they pick next can't be considered a classic to the general public. Titles in the vein of Sound of Music and the King and I have film versions that are too iconic to be touched (in the general public's eyes).
The only exception to this that I could see would be Annie Get Your Gun since it has the potential to cast someone like Kelly Clarkson in the titular role and another star name as her Frank. With The Wiz doing so well, I doubt it'll be as hard as it was before to convince star names to be attached. I could also see a show like Little Shop of Horrors work with a Jake Gyllenhaal (even though he's too big of a name) or Zachary Levi type star. There's a lot of star casting opportunities for the other roles as well. However, it's not necessarily a holiday family show so it'd most likely fair better at FOX.
I think what COULD work is something like Newsies. I think it has a lot of crossover appeal and has a lively, fresh feel to it. I don't know if the tour would conflict with a live broadcast, or if Disney would license the show out to a non-Disney asset, but there's a lot of star casting potential for it. The first person that comes to mind is Nick Jonas considering he's A+, has a musical theater background, and is in that weird position right now where his album really isn't selling and he's opening up for people like Iggy Azalea. Plus I think it'd be pretty darn cool to see the streets of New York built on a sound stage and have choreography that moves through it (á la Peter Pan).
Updated On: 12/5/15 at 02:00 AM
#118What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/5/15 at 2:06am
You don't know if Disney holds the rights to Newsies? Hmm. Let me think about that...
#119What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/5/15 at 3:33am
I am totally in the camp of Guys and Dolls. Preferably staged like a stage show and not just live on standing sets. Gaga as Sarah and Jane Krakowski reprising her role as Adelaide. You could get Betty White as General Cartwright.
Updated On: 12/5/15 at 03:33 AM
Starship
Broadway Star Joined: 7/29/12
#120What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/5/15 at 3:41am
^ CATS - I meant more in the sense of whether or not Disney would ever license it out for such a large-scale production that wasn't apart of an asset of the Walt Disney Company.
#121What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/5/15 at 5:42am
Megan Hilty and Andy Karl were adorable in Annie Get Your Gun at City Center. The Irving Berlin score is wonderful and it is something that could be done simply and would not be overly ambitious. I think it appeals to a wide spectrum of audience members.
barcelona20
Broadway Star Joined: 1/19/08
#123What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/5/15 at 10:53am
They have to weigh so many factors and pick a quality show that is widely known, fun, family-oriented and contemporary cast-able. In this way I think The Wiz was an inspired choice. I really Iike the Charlie Brown, Birdie and Annie Get Your Gun ideas. Cinderella has been done so many times. Someone mentioned Hello, Dolly, and I think that, Mame, Music Man, Fiddler or The King and I are in the right direction and could benefit from strong TV productions. Same with She Loves Me, but I think that show is a little too delicate for blockbuster TV.
Updated On: 12/5/15 at 10:53 AM
Hamilton22
Broadway Star Joined: 7/18/15
#124What should NBC's next Live Musical Be?
Posted: 12/5/15 at 11:07am
It's sad that Meron and Zadan had to mention hate watching.. It must be incredibly annoying to know that many people (especially on here) just tune into their shows to hate watch them. But of course, it's better to create and get criticized than to create nothing and criticize.
Videos